


I will reach you

by SwedishGirl



Category: Westlife
Genre: Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Male Friendship, Self-Sacrifice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-20
Updated: 2017-01-20
Packaged: 2018-09-18 20:30:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9401801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwedishGirl/pseuds/SwedishGirl
Summary: Nicky and Mark are driving from Dublin to Sligo and end up in a snow storm. The ordeal brings them closer together.





	

**Author's Note:**

> No sex in this one. It was too cold for that, haha. Maybe in the next. Bear with me, people! ;-)

"-It’s getting worse..." Nicky said, looking out through the side window. 

Mark and Nicky were driving from Dublin to Sligo. The weather in Dublin had been quite bad but not anything extraordinary. Neither of them had even thought of checking the weather reports before they left. It was only a three hour drive, they had done it a thousand times before and they hadn't given it any further thought. Now they had been driving for about an hour and the weather was already a lot worse. The snow was coming down heavy and the temperature was dropping by the minute.

"-All this snow coming at the windshield gives me a head ache." Mark said.  
"-Want me to drive for a bit?" Nicky asked.  
"-Yeah, if you want. We can take turns." 

They stopped to swap seats and when they opened the car doors, the wind caught the doors and slammed them open. They had to struggle on the icy ground to get round the car and get back inside again. 

"-Fuck!" Nicky exclaimed. "It's fucking freezing all of a sudden."  
"-You should have brought a warmer jacket." Mark said.  
"-Yeah, probably going to freeze to death before we get to your house." Nicky joked.  
"-Probably. Do you want me to take your frozen corps with me to Sligo, or can I just ditch you somewhere then, it would be a lot easier for me." Mark joked. Nicky smirked and gave him a little push. 

"-I should have brought gloves, my hands are freezing." Mark said.  
"-Why do you keep driving this old piece of crap, why don't you just buy a new car, you could get one with heated steering wheel and everything, you know."  
"-My Land Rover is not a piece of crap, thank you very much."  
"-Well..."  
"-I happen to like it."  
"-Yeah, I've noticed..." 

Nicky adjusted the driver’s seat to fit his shorter legs and then they pulled out on the road again. They still had two hours left to go. The good thing with the Land Rover was that it was big and sturdy, it wouldn't be a problem driving through snow. The bad thing was that it was so old the heating system didn't work properly. Come to think of it, almost nothing worked properly on this car. Mark did have another car as well but he liked the Land Rover too much to get rid of it. It was the first car he'd bought for himself years and years back. The other lads had all bought fancy sports cars like Ferraris and stuff. Mark would have felt like an idiot driving around in a Ferrari, he thought the Land Rover suited him better. 

"-What kind of a car doesn't have a radio, Mark?"  
"-It's got a radio, Nicky. It just doesn't work." 

Nicky looked at Mark with a raised eye brow. Mark ignored it on purpose, trying not to laugh. 

"-Speaking of radio. Remember when we first heard ourselves on the radio?" Nicky said, shaking his head a little and smiling fondly at the memory.  
"-Yeah, it was mental. But you know, I can still feel weird when they play our songs. I think it will always be like that. Feels surreal, somehow."  
"-Yeah, I know what you mean." Nicky said. "-Do you like listening to yourself sing?"  
"-I don't know. I don't do it that often. It's quite fine if it’s on the radio you know. Then it's a track from one of our albums and I know I am fine with those. They have like an "approved" stamp on them, or else they wouldn't have ended up on the record."  
"-Yeah..."  
"-But when it comes to being on the telly.... You know I hate that."  
"-Yeah, I know. But I've never really understood why?"  
"-Well, I don't know. It's just the whole thing of being scrutinized, I guess. Sometimes we only get one chance, if I sing badly it is still aired all over Ireland, if you know what I mean."  
"-But you never sing badly. Your voice is mental, Mark."  
"-I do, though. If I get nervous, I sing bad. End of story. I'm not Shane, you know."  
"-Thank God. We only need one Shane, right?" Nicky snorted and shook his head.

Mark giggled a little.

"-He's a good man, Nicky."  
"-I know, I'm just messing." Nicky said, smiling. 

"-Did he always have that voice?" Nicky asked.  
"-He did. It's insane. He had that pitch perfect crisp tone already when I first heard him sing at school. I was so fucking impressed. Didn't have the guts to even speak to him for several months, though."  
"-Because of his perfect voice, or what??"  
"-Because of everything. He was one of the cool guys, you know. I wasn't, as you might have already guessed..." Mark said with a smirk. Nicky laughed out loud.  
"-Aaw, poor Marky..." he said, reaching out to pat Mark's thigh. 

The snow was coming down hard now and Nicky had to slow down a bit as there was basically no sight at all. Everything was just white. He had to struggle to even see the road ahead. Mark sat quietly in the passenger’s seat, not wanting to disturb Nicky when driving. Marks phone beeped. A text message from Kian: 

"Are you guys safe?"

Mark was a bit puzzled. Safe? The weather was bad alright, but it wasn't like they were in any danger. He sent an answer: 

"Safe and sound. Halfway to Sligo. Nicky driving." 

The answer came seconds later: 

"Are U on the road??? Find somewhere to stop." 

Mark stared at the text. He sent an answer: 

"Why?" 

"Warnings on radio. Ice storm coming from sea towards Sligo." 

Mark read it twice. Then he read it out loud to Nicky. 

"-What?" Nicky said. "-We are NOT stopping now, then we will just be trapped at some McDonalds or something along the road. It can't be that bad, can it? What could happen? Us getting stuck somewhere, freezing to death?" he giggled.

Mark didn't answer. He felt a slight twist of worry in his stomach. If Kian told them to stop, they probably should. On the other hand, perhaps Nicky was right. What was the worst thing that could happen? They would probably be alright. And he wanted to get home. He let Nicky continue to drive. He sent a text to Kian, letting him know: 

"Stopping later if needed." 

The answer came instantly: 

"Stop. Now. Storm already here. Roof about to blow off." 

Mark hesitated. He wished Nicky was the one receiving these text messages. He really hated being the one caught in the middle between Nicky and Kian. Kian telling him to tell Nicky something and Nicky questioning it. He had been through that too many times during the years. 

"-Kian says we really should stop. He says his roof is about to blow off." Mark finally said.  
"-Well, the storm may be bad at his place by the sea but it isn't as bad here yet so let's just go on for a bit, yeah." Nicky said casually.  
"-Okay..." Mark said hesitantly.  
"-Or do you wanna stop? We can if you want to? Stop at some gas station maybe?" 

Mark wasn't overly happy with that idea either. Stopping at some gas station for shelter. Standing there like two morons. Maybe with a bunch of other people. Mark was a pro at blending in and could go anywhere without being noticed. Nicky was the complete opposite. He'd never blend in. Wasn't his thing. He seemed to enjoy every little opportunity to chat to people. Mark was not in the mood for that. 

"-No, let's continue. It's only 30 miles left now. We'll be alright."  
"-Okay.” Nicky said.

They drove for a bit and then Nicky said:

“-So, tell me something about yourself that I don't know."  
"-What...?"  
"-Yeah! Anything!"  
"-I think you know everything that is of worth..."  
"-Surely there must be SOMETHING you can tell me?"  
"-Like what?"  
"-Well... Like... When was the last time you cried?"  
"-I don't even know that."  
"-Okay, so just tell me what makes you cry, then?"  
"-I don't know... When someone dies, I guess."  
"-Well, obviously." Nicky said, rolling his eyes.  
"-When pets die, maybe. Cried a bit when our dog died, I guess."  
"-Okay. Don't cry to books? Movies? Watching the news?"  
"-Not really, no."  
"-Cry at weddings?"  
"-Nope."  
"-You really are strange, Feehily." Nicky said, smiling.

The trip would've normally taken about three hours, and now they had been driving for four, and wasn't even close to Sligo yet. Nicky's phone had gone dead an hour ago and Mark's was soon low on battery. A new text message from Kian popped up on the screen: 

"Where did you stop?" 

Mark bit his lip. 

"Didn't. Low batt on phone. Call you later."

Mark could almost hear Kians anger in the next message: 

"You WHAT? Fucking idiots. It's unsafe. Where are you?"

"6 miles to go. Low batt. Have 2 go." 

It was dark outside now and all they could see was snow. Snow everywhere. The storm was roaring outside and was rocking the car sideways. Nicky struggled to keep the car on the road. They had only seen a few other cars along the road the last hour. Most of them standing on the side of the road, abandoned. 

"-Fuck. Maybe we should have stopped..." Nicky said. 

A second after he'd said it, the car plowed hard into a massive ridge of snow that had built up on the road by the wind. Nicky lost control over the car and it slid sideways down a steep slope at one side of the road and slammed sideways into a tree. 

Nicky felt the air being forced out of his lungs by the collision, and then everything went still and silent. He felt the adrenaline rushing through his body, his heart was pounding hard and he was shaking slightly. 

"-Mark?" he said, reaching out a hand, touching Mark’s shoulder. 

Mark had hit the side of his head and was a bit dazed and didn't answer immediately.

"-MARK!" Nicky shouted.  
"-Yeah..."  
"-You okay?"  
"-Think so... Hit my head..." Mark said with a shaky voice.  
"-Oh, fuck, is it bleeding?"  
"-Don't know... Don't think so..." 

Nicky tried to start the car but it was dead. 

"-Fuck!! Fuck, fuck, fuck!!!" Nicky shouted.  
"-Hey..." Mark managed, putting a trembling hand on Nicky's thigh. 

Nicky let out a deep frustrated breath and ran his hands through his hair. 

"-What the FUCK are we supposed to do now?" he said.  
"-We'll think of something, okay." Mark said, patting Nicky's thigh reassuringly, then leaning back against his seat, letting out a deep breath and closing his eyes for a moment. He had really hurt his head, but he was not going to tell Nicky. 

Nicky looked at him with concern. 

"-Fuck Mark, are you okay?!"  
"-Yeah. No problem." Mark said, opening his eyes again. Nicky took his hand, and then they sat in silence a few moments, catching their breaths and calming down a bit.

"-Okay..." Nicky said, just as much to himself as to Mark. "-Okay. No need to panic. We'll think of something."  
"-Yeah..." Mark nodded. 

Mark wanted to go out and open the hood and see if he could locate what was wrong with the car. But when he opened the door of the car, it slammed open by the storm, and the snow rushed in. He had to struggle to get it closed again and they both realized opening the hood of the car would be both impossible and dangerous. 

"-So, what do we do?" Nicky asked.  
"-Not sure, actually. Shall we try to call someone? Who would be able to pick us up here?"  
"-Don't know. Don't wanna call Kian and give him the satisfaction..." Nicky smirked.  
"-My parents are away." Mark said.  
"-Shane?"  
"-Nah, don't wanna disturb him, making him leave his family in this storm."  
"-You're right. So. Waiting for the storm to subside, then?"  
"-Well, I guess.” 

Mark took out his phone. There was no coverage. No bars whatsoever. And he only had 10% battery left. 

As they sat there they suddenly saw the flashing lights of a snow removal truck passing by up on the road. Nicky tried to turn the head lights on but nothing happened when he turned the key. As the truck passed them, it shoved a massive wall of snow right at their car. The whole right side of the car was covered with snow. Mark and Nicky exchanged looks. Nicky could see the unease in Mark's eyes. 

"-Okay. So now we're invisible as well." Mark said.  
"-Right..."  
"-Okay. So. Need to do something about that if we ever wanna be found." 

Mark started to close his coat and Nicky gave him a questioning look. 

"-You're not going out there, are you?" he said.  
"-Have to. Need to remove that snow, otherwise no one will ever see us here."  
"-I'll help you." Nicky said, already buttoning his jacket.  
"-No, you're not. You're not going out there in that jacket. You'll freeze to death."  
"-Well, so be it. I can't let you do all that work by yourself, especially not after that blow you took to your head. Actually, YOU should stay in here while I get out."  
"-Don't be ridiculous, Nicky. I'll go. You stay here." 

Mark opened his door and climbed out. He was not dressed for this, and the cold was agonizing. As he turned around to close the door, he was met by Nicky who jumped out right after him. Nicky was dressed even worse for this weather and Mark almost laughed at him jumping into the deep snow in his jeans, leather jacket and Dockers. 

"-Go back inside, you idiot!" Mark shouted.  
"-Never!!" Nicky shouted back, gripping Mark's arms and pushing passed him. 

Mark slammed the door shut and hurried after Nicky who was already shoveling snow with his bare hands on the opposite side of the car. Mark joined him. It only took a couple of minutes before their hands were hurting by the cold. There was still plenty of snow left to move. They had to stop for a second. They moved close together, shielding each other from the storm. After a few seconds, even just standing there was almost unbearable. They finished as fast as they could and then they went back inside. Mark opened the door to the back seat and pushed Nicky inside before he climbed in himself. 

The car was cold now. Nothing of the heat from before was left. At least they were sheltered from the storm, but they both realized it would get very cold in here very soon. Mark wiped his cold and wet hands on his coat and urged Nicky to do the same. Then he took Nicky's hands in an attempt to warm them. Didn't help much as Mark's hands were almost as cold as Nicky's, but Nicky really appreciated the gesture. He looked at Mark. 

"-Fucking hell, Mark. You've got a big bruise on your cheekbone there."  
"-Oh, have I?"  
"-Yeah, let me have a look." 

Nicky looked very concerned as he touched Mark's face gently. 

"-Does it hurt?" he asked.  
"-No, it's okay." Mark said.  
"-Mark. I can see it in your eyes. It hurts. How bad?"  
"-Well... Actually, it throbs a bit... Feel a little dizzy."  
"-Oh fuck, Mark! Why didn't you tell me?!" Nicky yelped.  
"-To what purpose?" Mark asked.  
"-Why do you always have to be like that, Mark? Keeping everything to yourself? Come here!" he said, dragging Mark closer and kissing his bruised cheekbone lightly. "-It's not weakness to ask for help, or to say how you're feeling."  
"-I know. Sorry." he said weakly, letting Nicky comfort him with a hug. 

Mark closed his eyes for a bit. Nicky was adorable sometimes. He could bring out things in Mark that not many people could. He was Mark's opposite in so many respects and maybe that was the key. Mark enjoyed Nicky's company so much because he knew he didn't have to be everything himself, he could rely on Nicky being everything he wasn't. 

"-You're cold." Mark said, sitting up and taking Nicky's hands again.  
"-We both are." Nicky said.  
"-But you haven't got enough clothes on."  
"-No Mark, it's you having too much clothes on. You always have." Nicky joked. "-What's that all about, anyway? Always hiding under layers of clothes? Always long sleeves, always top button closed? Why do you do that?" he said, looking at Mark with curiosity.  
"-Am I? Haven't thought about it that way, actually. I guess I just feel more comfortable that way."  
"-What way? The "I'm a nun in a monastery"-way?" Nicky teased.  
"-What?!" Mark giggled.  
"-Yeah, well, I mean, the girls in the audience always like a bit of flesh..."  
"-Do they now? I don't think they'd like my flesh. Yours, yes. Mine, nah..."  
"-Don't say that. You're perfect. I'm sure they fancy you as much as they do me. You're gorgeous!"  
"-No they don't, Nicky." Mark said with a dismissive wave. 

Nicky gave Mark an inquiring look. He had known him for so many years now but he still didn't feel like he knew him 100%. It always felt like there was a core in Mark which he kept to himself. Nicky used to think of him as "the mysterious one". 

"-So, what do you think of this year’s dance routines?" Nicky said, trying to make them both think of something else than the grueling coldness.  
"-They're okay, I guess..." Mark said.  
"-See, there you go again! Saying they're fine when you really don't think they are!"  
"-What... What do you want me to say, then?"  
"-It's not about that, Mark! It's not about what I want you to say! I want you to tell me what YOU think!"  
"-Okay... Well... I think most of them are okay. I guess I’m not overly enthusiastic about the hip thrusting thing, though."  
"-I think we've all noticed you're not keen on them. But the audience seem to think of them as a given, nowadays. You know, it's like we can't do the medley without doing the thrusting thing. People would probably be booing or something."  
"-Yeah, I get that. But you know, they still don't need to see ME thrusting my hips. It’s you they're after. You and Kian and Shane. But mostly you."  
"-Really? Why do you say that?"  
"-I have eyes, Nicky. Sometimes the whole front row is wearing "Team Byrne" tops. Sometimes there are only Nicky-banners and almost nothing else. They LOVE you. You are born to entertain. Don't know how you do it."  
"-I'm just a bit more spontaneous, I guess. But everyone doesn't like that. Loads of people prefer the tall dark guy with the shy smile...” Nicky said, giving Mark a nudge. “-And I bet the gay guys in the audience don't mind you thrusting your hips at them..."  
"-Get outta here, will you. Feel so fucking stupid doing those moves. I actually try not to do them at all."  
"-Yeah, I've noticed."

They were sitting in silence for a while. Then Nicky said:

"-You know, we've never really discussed what kind of guys you fancy, what you look for in a man, stuff like that... I don't know how many times we’ve been asked about our favorite type of girl, but you have never been given the chance to talk about your favorite type of boy!"  
"-Yeah well, who gives a shit." Mark said with a laugh.  
"-I do. I really do, actually. I'd really like to know."  
"-Okay... What do you want to know?"  
"-Well, who is your Mr. Perfect? What would he be like?"  
"-Big question, isn't it..."  
"-Might be, but we're not going anywhere."

Mark hesitated for a bit before answering. 

"-Okay. I think the most important thing would be that he could make me laugh. I think I need someone who can cheer me up, who can make me see the positive side of things, you know?" 

Nicky listened with interest while looking at Mark, who was fidgeting with his hands while looking down on them. He always did that when he was a bit unsure what to do. It was adorable. 

"-Okay. Sounds about right. A positive and fun guy."  
"-Yeah. And also, I would like something safe and long-term, you know. I guess everyone does maybe. But I mean, I'm not into the dating thing and all that. It's just a chore. It would be lovely to have someone that you know will be there for you, you know. Basically, I guess I just want someone who makes me feel safe and secure.  
"-Yeah." Nicky said, nodding. 

Mark went silent. Nicky didn't want to drop this subject just yet: 

"-Okay, so. Positive, fun, reliable, safe and secure. And what about the looks?"  
"-Doesn't matter really, as long as he is a nice guy."  
"-Maybe so. But if you could pick anyone. What would your ideal guy look like? Blonde? Dark? Tall?"  
"-I don't know... I think Tom Hardy is really good looking..."  
"-Tom Hardy? The actor? Yeah, okay. He is. I can agree with you on that one."  
"-Fuck, it's cold." Mark suddenly said.  
"-It is." Nicky agreed. 

As much as they tried to keep the conversation casual, it was still beginning to sink in for both of them that the situation was becoming potentially dangerous, and they both fell silent. 

“-We need to chat about something, or this will be a very long night.” Nicky said after a while.  
“-Yeah… Can’t really come up with anything, though. Too cold. Can’t think straight.” Mark shivered.  
“-I know. Just talk about something, anything. Movies, music, food, pets, what you had for breakfast, anything.”  
“-You know what I had for breakfast. You were there.”  
“-Yeah. Tell me what you want for dinner, then.”  
“-Mm… Something warm. Something really warm. Maybe I’ll actually crawl into the oven myself.”  
“-Yeah. That’d be great. Imagine a hot bath right now.”  
“-You and your baths. I think I’d prefer a shower, really.”  
“-There’s nothing like sinking down into the bath tub, surrounded by hot water.”  
“-But it gets cold so fast.”  
“-You have to refill with hot water after a while.”  
“-Hot water…”  
“-Yeah…”  
“-Walking in the sun…”  
“-Walking on the sun...”  
"-Walking on hot lava..."  
“-We’re getting delirious…”  
“-You always were…” 

The temperature had dropped even further in the car now, and after a while Nicky started shivering with cold. Mark noticed and took off his coat and gave it to Nicky. 

"-Here, put this on."  
"-No! No way! It's yours! Keep it!"  
"-No, Nicky. You are shivering. Take it."  
"-No."  
"-Nix. Take it, or I will have to force you." 

Nicky refused. He put his feet up and curled up into a ball, trying keep some of the body heat. Mark looked with worry at him. He was freezing himself, but he could tell Nicky had it even tougher. He was actually shaking now, the color gone from his face. 

Mark looked at his phone again. It only had 4% battery left now. He swallowed down the panic. He quickly opened his GPS app and took a screen shot of the satellite map showing where they were located. Or, where they had been located when they last had coverage. But he figured it was better to send that info than not sending anything at all. He put it in a message to Kian but didn't press "send". He needed to get out of the car and try to get to a place where there was coverage. And he needed to do it now. Nicky was not feeling well at all and Mark's hands and feet started to get numb. 

"-Nicky... I need to get out and try calling for help. I need you to stay here."  
"-No... Mark... Don't go out there, you'll freeze to death."  
"-If I don’t go out there, we'll both freeze to death."  
"-Mark..." Nicky said, shaking his head.  
"-I have to give it a try Nicky. I'll be right back here in a few minutes, okay."  
"-No, Mark..." 

Nicky grabbed Marks arm and looked at him pleading. Mark pulled him into a hug and Nicky clung to him desperately. Mark held him close for a while, feeling Nicky shiver. Then he backed up just slightly, putting his forehead to Nicky’s. Nicky didn't want to let go. Mark didn't want to force him, so he waited in silence. Forehead to forehead. Nose to nose. 

"-Don't leave me, Mark." Nicky whispered.  
"-I won't. I'll be back soon. I promise." 

Mark opened the door and climbed out. He closed it carefully behind him. Then he started to climb the steep slope where the car had slid off the road. The cold wind was painful on his already freezing skin, and his legs were shaky. He struggled to get up onto the road and then he took out his phone. Still no coverage. Fucking hell. He started to walk along the road, struggling in the storm. The road went slightly uphill and he thought there might be better coverage a bit higher up. 

When he reached the top of the hill, there was still no coverage and his heart sank. He had been walking for about ten minutes now and couldn't feel his legs anymore. Mark felt the panic rising in his chest. What was he supposed to do now? He looked at his phone again, held it up in the air. Suddenly, the screen lit up. He had coverage! Just one bar, but still! But when he lowered it to start pressing the buttons, the bar disappeared. He figured maybe it would still be possible to send a text message if he held the phone up, so he opened the text message he'd made for Kian earlier, with the GPS screenshot, and pressed "send". He looked at the phone processing his message slowly. He only had 2% battery left now and figured he must try to call someone now. Anyone. But when he tried, his hands were so numb and was shaking so badly he wasn't able to hit the right buttons. He felt tears rising in his eyes. 

There was no way he would be able to make that call. He decided to try and press "latest call" button instead, and then he held the phone up in the air again. He could see the screen lighting up - someone had picked up the phone on the other end! He started to lower the phone carefully, but as soon as he did, the connection broke. He looked at the screen to see who the fuck he had been calling. The screen said: "SHANE". A second later, the phone went dead. No battery left. 

When Mark stumbled back into the car, he was shaking badly and Nicky could see he had been crying. 

"-Mark!" he said, tugging him into the car and pulling him close. Mark sagged against him and let out a moan.

"-Called Shane." he managed to say after a while.  
"-He answered?" Nicky asked.  
"-Someone answered….but the phone died." Mark shivered.  
"-Okay." Nicky said, stroking Marks hair gently. "You did good."  
"-Tried....texting Kian. Don't know…if it worked."  
"-Okay."  
"-So cold..."

Mark's voice was weak and shaking. Nicky tried to comfort him:

"-I know. They'll be here soon. Just hang on."  
"-Yeah..." 

Nicky had begun to realize they would actually freeze to death if no one found them soon. They were curled up together on the seat, covered by Marks coat. Trying to warm each other. There was no energy left now to make conversation. Nicky shaking with cold didn't worry Mark nearly as much as Nicky being completely silent. Nicky was never silent, he was always talking about something. Mark felt Nicky shake in his arms. He was apparently still alive, but Mark needed to hear his voice. 

"-Nicky, talk to me."  
"-'Bout what?" Nicky managed.  
"-Anything. Need to know you're still with me."  
"-I'm here, Mark. Don't worry."  
"-Okay, good. Cause someone will soon come and get us."  
"-I know..." 

Mark hoped so, anyway. He wasn't sure that the message to Kian had been sent before the phone went dead. And he wasn't sure whoever had picked up the phone at Shane's would realize the situation. But he figured they would still be found as soon as the storm subsided and the road beside them filled with cars again. However long that would take... He started to feel even colder himself. His head was killing him by now and he felt so fucking tired. Nicky sagged against his chest and he felt an urge to lie down, just for a second... 

He tipped back and stretched out on the seat and dragged Nicky on top of himself. Nicky groaned something and then curled up to Mark, nuzzling into his neck. Mark covered them as much as he could with his coat. 

"-Nicky... Talk to me."  
"-Still here, Mark." Nicky whispered. 

They laid there for what could have been hours. Mark couldn't keep track anymore. He focused on not falling asleep, and kept asking Nicky to say something once in a while. He knew that if they fell asleep, they wouldn't make it.

Suddenly, Mark realized it was too quiet in the car. He couldn't really put his finger on it, it just felt too quiet. Then it dawned on him - the sound of the storm was gone. He looked up and tried to peek through one of the windows. They were all more or less covered in snow, but he could see a bright orange flashing light in the distance, coming closer. The snow removal truck!

He was suddenly more awake than ever. 

"-Nicky! The truck is back. Nicky!"

Nicky didn't answer and didn't move. Mark looked down on him and was met by closed eyes and parted lips in an awfully pale face. Mark tried desperately to wake him and in the meantime, the truck passed them and disappeared and the road went dark again. 

He realized no one would ever see them here, the Land Rover was covered in snow again and all signs of them skidding down the slope had been covered hours ago by more snow. Nicky was still alive, Mark could feel his breath on his neck. But if he was to survive, he needed help now. 

Mark's heart started to beat faster in his chest. Adrenaline rushing through his body. He needed to draw attention to the car, and needed to do it now. But when he tried to move, he just couldn't. Everything was numb and Nicky was heavy on top of him.

He looked down in desperation and tried to reach the door handle with his feet. After several desperate attempts, he managed to pull the door handle with his foot, and then he gave the door one great kick, using the very last of his powers. 

The door swung open and a minute later he could see a car stopping on the road above, and a person stepping out. A silhouette he knew very well. Kian. It was Kian. 

Mark felt tears of relief springing to his eyes and he dropped his head on the seat and laid back down, tightening his grip on Nicky. Kicking the door open had taken the last of his powers and now he could feel himself beginning to drift off. Like in a daze, he saw Kian ducking his head and looking into the car, shining at them with a big flash light, and then turning around screaming something from the top of his lungs to someone standing on the road with another flashlight. He knew that silhouette too. Shane. 

Kian climbed into the car, and Mark whispered:

"-Help Nicky first."

He felt Nicky being lifted from him and he heard Shane and Kian helping Nicky out of the car and up to the road. Soon, they were back with Mark and as soon as he felt hands grabbing him and blankets being wrapped aroud him, he finally let himself drift off. They were saved.


End file.
